Antietam=20
Lake talks continuing Little =
can be=20
resolved because of legal actions by a Montgomery County =
company=20
that claims it has an interest in the proceedings. Berks =
County=20
hopes to make the property a park.=20

By Mary=20
E. Young Reading=20
Eagle

Berks=20
County must file for a property-tax exemption for Antietam =
Lake, the=20
commissioners learned Tuesday.

Meanwhile, discussions are continuing with city officials =
and the=20
county's legal advisers on who will be responsible for =
maintaining=20
the property, Solicitor Alan S. Miller said.

The tax-exemption form must be filed because the county =
has moved=20
to take the property from the city by an eminent-domain =
action filed=20
in county court, he said.

But little else can be resolved because M.B. Investments =
of=20
Montgomery County has asked the court to rule that it has a =
legal=20
interest in the condemnation through its ongoing attempt to =
buy=20
half-interest in the property, Miller said.

=93We're in a state of limbo due to legal matters =
initiated by M.B.=20
Investments,=94 he said. =93They want to =85 eventually =
receive some=20
compensation.=94

Last year, City Council sold an option to the company by=20
resolution, which could not be vetoed by Mayor Tom McMahon.=20
Council's action came the day after McMahon sold an option =
to five=20
people who wanted the property to go to the county.

Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl ruled the sale to M.B. was =
invalid.

The company and the four council members who supported =
the deal=20
have appealed that decision to Commonwealth Court.

When two new council members were seated in January, a =
majority=20
of council members voted to rescind the deal and sell the =
property=20
to the county.

Commissioners Judith L. Schwank, Thomas W. Gajewski Sr. =
and Mark=20
C. Scott have continued to pursue their eminent-domain =
action=20
because of the uncertainty of the outcome of the legal =
challenges.

In other business, Scott read seven letters and e-mail =
from among=20
the many he received about his decision not to allow a mural =
to be=20
hung on the county services center to promote the Keith =
Haring art=20
exhibit at the Reading Public Museum.

Some of the writers called Scott names, such as moron and =
homophobe. Others praised Scott for speaking out against =
what they=20
consider to be pornographic art.

=93It's going to be going on through August,=94 Scott =
said of the=20
exhibit. =93If you're interested, show up. If you're not, =
stay home.=94

The commissioners also heard a report by Controller Sandy =
Graffius on an audit of the county's bill-paying procedures.

PRG Schultz, based in Atlanta, found problems with 28=20
transactions totaling $19,208 from 2000 to 2004.

During that time, 541,000 transactions totaling $891 =
million were=20
processed, Graffius said.

She credited her staff for the good report.

The firm's fee is half of the dollar amount of the errors =
found,=20
so it received half of the $19,208, Graffius said.

=93They lost their shirts on this one,=94 she said. =
=93They thought=20
they were going to get hundreds of thousands.=94

=A9 =
2006=20
Reading Eagle Company, All Rights ReservedServing the Berks =
County=20
community and surrounding areas for over 130 years!This site =
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links to other Internet sites.These links are not endorsements =
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products or services in such sites,and no information in such =
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been endorsed or approved by this=20
site.